Improvement in fire-arms



. STOWELL.

GunLock Pa telnted May 8, 1855.

N. PETERS. PHOTD-LITAQGRAPHER. WASNINGLON. D C.

UNITED STATES P TENT @rrrcm JOHN STOWVELL, OF OHARLESTOXVN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,836, dated May 8, 1855.

. of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to those rotatingbreech fire-arms in which the breech is rotated and wedged up against the barrel by the action of a sliding crotch, and the lock is cocked simultaneously with the rotating of the breech by a connection with the same 1ever to which the sliding crotch is attached, as described in the specification of Letters Patent of H. S. North and C. D. Skinner, dated June 1, 1852.

It consists in a novel mode of combining or effecting the connection between the sliding crotch and the lock, whereby the following important advantages are obtained: First, the simultaneous rotating of the breech and cooking of the lock is effected with a much easier movement; second, room is obtained for a mainspring, of more active character, and a stirrup-connection allowed between the spring and the tumbler; third, the person firing can rotate the breech and cock the lock without removing his finger from the trigger.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the interior of a gun-lock, showing also the connection between the hammer and the lever to which the sliding crotch is intended to be connected; and Fig. 2 is a top view of the parts which form the connection between the hammer and the lever.

' Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

A is the hammer, and a the tumbler, forming part of the same piece of metal.

Bis the mainspring, which is of the form generally known as the horseshoe-spring, and is connected with the tumbler a by the stirrup d. This form of and mode of applying the spring in fire-arms have been determined by practice to be the best known, but

. could not be used with North and Skinners method of operating the hammer.

O is the trigger, which is protected by a fixed guard, G, instead of a guard forming part of the lever by which the rotation of the breech and cooking of the lock are effected.

D is the lever by which the rotation of the breech and the cooking are effected. This lever is arranged in a similar manner to the trigger-guard lever described in the specification of North and Skinners patent, but does not extend so far back, owing to the employment of the fixed trigger-guard. The

sliding crotch is intended to be connected at the point 0,- but owing to its arrangement and operation being the same as described in North and Skinners specification, I have not thought it necessary to represent it. The connection between the hammer and the lever D is effected by means of a lever, d, and two stirrups, e and f. The lever d works on a fixed fulcrum, within the stook E of the gun, and has a long forked arm in front of the fulcrum and a short arm in rear of and above its fulcrum. The stirrup e connects the long arm of the lever d with the lever D, and the stirrup f connects the short arm of the same with the bottom of the-tumbler. The latter connection is made by a pin, h, which is fast inv the lever d, and works in a slot, i, in the back part of the stirrup f. In Fig. 1 the several parts are exhibited in red outline in the position they occupy after the discharge of the piece, and in black outline in their position after having just effected the rotation of the breech and the cooking of the lock. The lever D operates substantially like North and Skinners trigger-guard lever. By pulling it down the long arm of the lever D is depressed and the short arm thereof thrown forward, throwing forward the bottom of the tumbler and raising the hammer to cook it. When the lever D israised to drive up the sliding crotch to wedge the rotating breech up to the barrel, the pin h moves back in the slot t of the stirrup f, that being the purpose for which the slot is provided.

It will be readily understood by reference to the two positions represented in Fig. 1 that the finger is allowed to be retained upon the trigger during the rotating of the breech and cocking of the lock, and therefore a more rapid repeat is insured than can be had with the connection described in North and Skinners specification, which does not allow the finger to be retained upon the trigger, and whose movement is liable to do much injury to the finger of any person unaccustomed to its use, who may forget or not see that it is necessary to remove his finger from the trigger before moving the trigger-guard lever.

I hereby disclaim the invention of the combination of the hammer with the sliding crotch for the purpose of effecting the cooking of the lock simultaneously with and by the same movement as the rotation of the breech, in any other way than substantially as described in this specification; but

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent, is

The method herein described of effecting the connection between the hammer and the lever D, by which the sliding crotch is operated, by means of a lever, d, and two stirrups, e and f, applied and operating substantially as herein described.

JOHN STOWELL.

\Vitnesses:

J osnrn O. XVALKER, .Lmrns XV. TUFTS. 

